Embree sets sights on moving up the ladder within the LA Dodgers minor league system

Friday

Mar 8, 2013 at 2:45 PMMar 9, 2013 at 10:28 AM

Come Saturday, Corey Embree is leaving work on the family farm while dealing with the sub-freezing temperatures and 10-inches of snowfall in Randolph County for more spring-like temperatures of the upper-70s and desert conditions of Arizona for at least the next three weeks.

That's because professional baseball has something to do with that decision.

Moberly High School 2011 graduate Embree returns to Glendale, Arizona where he will join the rest of minor league and also major league players of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for spring training workouts. He will later learn where within the minor league system he will be assigned to playing at the start of this summer term.

"I am very excited to begin spring training, and it could not come soon enough for me. I 'll get to meet and talk to the major league players with the Dodgers. I'll probably be nervous and in awe of being in their presence. But I also realize that I am now a professional baseball player like them," said Corey. "I am looking forward to listening to what they and my coaches have to say and teach the game at this professional level, willing to absorb as much information and getting all the help I can get to make myself a better baseball player and a valuable asset to the Dodgers organization."

"I feel so blessed to have the opportunity of playing professional baseball and so happy that the Dodgers organization thought I was a worthwhile prospect to draft last summer. I really appreciate the Moberly community supporting me, and I want to make my hometown feel some pride. I hope to have a healthy baseball season, work extra hard and earn the organization's respect for my abilities."

A 38th round pick as an outfielder in the 2012 MLB Draft by the Dodgers, Embree had a successful rookie season playing within the Arizona Rookie League last summer and he recently received a promising preseason scouting report within the Dodgers blog network of www.TrueBlueLA.com

Embree, a 6'3, 215 lbs. corner outfielder, had the second highest batting average at .320 (24-75) among the Dodgers rookies who played at least 18 games. He also was among the top four in OPS at .902 and slugging percentage at .493. Embree had five doubles, four triples, 18 RBIs, and 10 BBs. He also struck out just 15 times, the second fewest strikeouts at the plate among rookies having played 18 or more games.

"One of my goals going in to my first full year of spring training is to at least make the single A club's roster with their minor league team at Midland, Michigan," said Embree. "I know I'll have my work cut out for me because there are a lot of very good outfielders wanting to better themselves too. All of us are competing for jobs and starting positions somewhere, so that makes spring training all the more tougher."

TrueBlueLA is a website devoted to following activity within the Dodgers organization. Beginning in late April there is a stronger emphasis reporting on the seven minor league teams –including one in the Dominican Republic – that is affiliated with the Dodgers.

Brandon Lennox is one of the main reporters that covers the Dodgers minor league system. This past month, after reviewing minor league scouting reports Lennox put together his 2013 preseason analysis of the Dodgers' 240-some players within the system.

Here is what Lennox had to say about the 20-year old Embree, in which there were five other outfielders who were drafted and signed ahead of him by the Dodgers (6th, 7th, 11th, 16th, 21st round).

"Despite one of the final picks of the 2012 draft, there is a lot to like about Cory Embree. After hitting .451 for Maplewoods Community College in his freshman year, Embree joined the Arizona Dodgers and tore it up in his professional debut. While he didn't connect on any homers, Cory collected 5 doubles and 4 triples in just 24 games, while walking in 11.2% of his plate appearances. His .320 average ranked 2nd on the team, as did his .409 OB%. Defensively Cory spent time in both right and left field and didn't make an error all year. Despite his draft position Embree could be a sleeper heading into 2013, and he may even have a shot at the Loons opening day roster.Realistically he'll spend this upcoming season in the Pioneer League where he'll get to play in a very hitter friendly environment."

The Great Lakes Loons are located in Midland, Michigan and compete in the 'single A' Midwest League, while the Pioneer League affiliate team of the Dodgers are named the Ogden Raptors of Ogden, Utah.

After returning home last September from the rookie AZL, Embree spent about a month in the Dominican Republic playing in a winter instructional league until around the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Since then, Embree has been following the Dodgers' off-season conditioning and 5-day workout schedule while assisting his brother Jared working on the family cattle farm, and recently assisting the Moberly H.S. baseball coaching staff with preseason workouts.

"Corey's input and help with our high school baseball players has been immeasurable. We offered open, voluntary workouts in January and Corey has been to just about every one of them even up to this week, helping any of our players develop better skills. Corey was an all-state baseball player here at Moberly, but since he graduated he has learned so much more about the game and has become such a better ball player himself after the things he picked up while playing at Maple Woods College in Kansas City and especially as a pro with the Los Angeles Dodgers," said Moberly Spartans baseball coach Adam Smith. "Corey is so mature, extremely humble and is so level-headed, that he has been able to interact with some of the kids that he played with and was a buddy during his senior high school year that they look up to him as being a mentor and a teacher of the game. When Corey talks about baseball, the kids really listen to him and have come to him for help. I already have seen improvements with a lot of players on this year's team and we're two weeks away from our first game."

Coach Smith said Corey helped the Spartans coaching staff set up a weight conditioning and workout regimen, similar to what he went through last summer as a Dodgers' rookie.

"We are going through several new fielding drills and conditioning exercises that the baseball program here has never done before. Some of it may look a little weird or awkward, but there is a greater meaning as to why baseball players do this and Corey explains that to our players very well, and it is making sense to every one," said Smith. "I cannot say enough about what Corey has meant to me and our baseball players."

"All of us here at Moberly, from the teachers and staff, to our students - and I've heard many people here in the community - are all wishing him the best and hope he continues to improve well enough to make it all the way."